Resilient-tired wheel for automobiles and other vehicles.



No 868,207. QPATENTED OUT. 15, 1907. A. c. MONFORTL RBSILIENT TIRED WHEEL FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1906.

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RESILIBNT WHEEL FOR AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 25. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFsIoE.

ABRAM G. MONFORT, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Application filed May 25, 1906. Serial No. 318,662

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Arm 0. MONFQRT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient-TiredWheels for Automobiles and other Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in resilienttired vehicle-wheels of the class or type .more especially adapted for use on automobiles or motor-cars, and it consists essentially in the combination with the rim and oppositely disposed annular flanges or plates secured thereto and projecting therebeyond, of a pneumatic or inflatable tire extending round and supportedby said rim and located between the adjacent faces of said plates, a series of suitably supported comparatively narrow radially movable independent blocks or sections in yielding engagement with said tire, and an endless fiexible traction-tire secured to and encircling and in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the blocks, all as more fully hereinafter set forth claimed. V

In the tire portions of wheels of the class above referred to and as usually constructed the degree of compressibility or radial movement of the members has been comparatively small and the movable sections have considerable length peripherally, the result being that the wheels run with less smoothness or evenness. In some cases the weight and cost of the wheels have been materially increased in providing them with means for protecting the inflatable tires to render the latter non-puncturablel The object I have in view is to provide automobile wheels with means whereby the advantages of a pneumatic tire proper may be secured without the risk or liability of its being punctured or accidentally deflated. The improved wheel being strong, serviceable, dust-proof, neat in appearance and not as expensive as the type of wheels wherein the tread' or traction porand tion thereof consists of a pneumatic tire having veryheavy and thick walls of rubber.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion of a motor-car wheel embodying my improvement, a portion thereof beingbroken away and also showing one of the sedtions or blocks and corresponding part of the traction' tire'in section. Fig. 2 is a corresponding transverse sectional view, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sideview, ac similar to Fig. 1, showing a slight variation or modification. .Fig. 4'is a corresponding crosssection, taken on line 4 4-of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

I would state that since my improvement is welladapted to be employed in wheels having. any suitable In my improved wheelthe rim proper, a, preferably made of wood, has suitable width or thickness and hat parallel sides. Its outer or circumferential face has a central groove atherein forming a seat for the annular inflatable or pneumatic thin rubber-tire t, the same asdrawn being round cross-sectionally and somewhat narrower than said rim (1. To the said two flat sides of the rim are secured by suitably spaced through bolts e a pair of oppositely disposed annular parallel flanges or plates b of metal, the outer and inner edges being represented as having outwardly extending ribs b. The said two flange members project a distance beyond the rim, thus forming a comparatively deep peripheral groove or space 721. in which the several sectionsor blocks d, about to be described, areindependently and yieldingly mounted. The said blocks or sections d are fitted to move freely in a vertical or radial direction, that is to move in a plane perpendicular toi the wheels axis. The length or height of each block is about twice the width thereof. A's drawn, the

blocks are slightly wedge-shaped and separated from one another by slight spaces h to allow for the maximum radial movement or play. The blocks are uniformly spaced round the wheel and normally extend beyond the outer periphery of the flanges b. Each block member has a radially elongated central opening d therethrough to receive the clamping bolt e the latter passing through a sleeve or thimble e the ends of which bear snugly against the adjacent sides of the respective flanges b, thusforming space-members; In case the blocks are made .of wood the opposite sides or faces thereof may if desired be faced with sheet-metal plates f secured thereto by rivets r. If desired too the inner bottom ends of the blocks maybe faced with fibrousor flexible material f, as felt or rubber, to prevent the chafing or wearing ,away of the tire t. The said plates f do not as drawn completely coverthe faces of the movable sections (1, in fact they do not extend to the outer periphery of the flanges I), thus forming on each side a narrow peripheral packing space m between the adjacent sides of the block and flange.

The outer peripheral ends of the members d are normally honcentric with the rim :1, and are adapted to receive and retain the endless annular traction-tire p of suitably prepared rubber or other material possessing a proper degree of elasticity, flexibility and resiliency. I prefer to make the form of said tire member p substantially rectangular cross-sectionally, thereby presenting a greater'traction area to the surface on which the wheel runs. The lower or inner edge portions of 1 the tire are extended at each side to form narrow ribs or flangesptarrang'ed to fill the said packing spaces m thereby forminghontinuous 'practieally dust proof joints and preventing the entrance of other foreign at d in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings.

the annular flanges or side plates b may have the'ribs b inturned, the bolt=heads and nuts. being countermatter. In order to maintain the proper relative position of the memb'ers d and p, both circumferentially and transversely, the tire may be provided on its inner or under side with suitably spaced integral lugs a seated in correspondingly shaped recesses a formed in the outer periphery of the sections.

In lieu-of making the said sections of wood they may be made of malleable iron, substantially as represented In such case sunk and flush with the outer sides of the plates. See

' Fig. 4. The said sections or blocks d may becast hollow thus rendering them lighter while also possessing ample strength. .Thetract ion tire p is constructed and arranged substantially as before described, except that in lieu of thelugs u and the recessed seats therefor it may have a corresponding number of integral thin transverse ribs u .fitting between the adjacent sides of each pair of blocks. See Fig. 3. In this construction of the sections the lateral ends or faces thereof are adapted to enter correspondingly shallow recesses b I iormed in the adjacent faces of the plates 1), the parallel ribs b forming guides for the sections and maintaining the latter inposition both radially and transversely.

. Ina Wheel embodying my improvements its action when in use is such that the resiliency of the protected I inflated internal tire t automatically andsuccessively 'returns the depressed sections to the normal position immediately following the passage of the corresponding orcontact'ing part of the traction-tire. upon the ground or roadway on which it may be running.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters-Patent 1. In a resilient-tired wheel for automobiles and other self-propelled vehicles, the combination with a suitably mounted rim, :1 pair of oppositely disposed annular plates rigidly secured to and extending radially'beyond the rimv and an. annular pneumaticor inflatable tire located between said plates and seated in the outer periphery of said rim, of a plurality of radially arranged independently movable and laterally separated inelastic sectionshaving' their inner or lower sides bearing against and being supported by said tire, means for limiting the movements of said sections, the ends of the latter transversely of the wheel being constructed so as to form narrow spaces between them andthe adjacent inner faces of said plates, an annular flexible and compressible traction-tire member in direct contact with 'theouter periphery of said sections provided with integral side flanges extendingdownwardlytire of rubber having its inner side bearing against the outer periphery oi the sections and at the same time ex-- tending downwardly between said plate flanges and the adjacent ends of the. sections. and means for holding the tire in position circumferentially with respect to the sections, substantially as described.

Signed at Providence, R. 1., this 22nd day of May 1906.

ABBA C. MONFORI.

Witnesses Gnu. H. REMINGTON, HENRY P. STONE. 

